Ben Davis from the Australian Workers Union says staff at Avalon are bitterly disappointed.

"We started getting phone calls as soon as management texted them to call them into a meeting [this morning]," he said.

"They're gutted and just devastated but they're furious with Qantas, and well they should be.

"They work in a very specialised trade and a very specialised profession. They will struggle to find employment in their industry in Australia."

Federal Member for Corangamite Sarah Henderson said the closure was a "black day" for Avalon and the Geelong region and called on Qantas to commit to maintaining its Jetstar operations at the Avalon airport.

"It's a very devastating day," she said.

"There are another 90 jobs out there with Jetstar. We want to see Avalon airport grow. Frankly, this has a great potential as a jobs hub, as an infrastructure hub over the next 10 years."

Victorian Premier Denis Napthine says he is "extremely disappointed" about the job cuts but there is not much his Government can do.

"We've been working with Qantas for some time, fighting hard for those jobs ... but there is a clear decision from Qantas, which is a decision of Qantas that they explained to us, that there is a changing airline industry."

Unions spoke to airline for two months before today's announcement

Earlier, Steve Purvinas from the Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association said unions had been in talks with Qantas for eight weeks.

"They've put all these problems before us that are going to prevent them from keeping Avalon open," he told ABC Local Radio.

"We believe we've more than adequately answered all of those concerns that the airline have had.

"I got a letter late last night from Qantas saying they have rejected all of our proposals. It looks almost certain that they're going to close this facility sometime next year, which is a real shame."

Mr Purvinas expects some of the jobs to be relocated to a maintenance centre in Brisbane.

"But they cannot fit it in there. They're already about 500 people short-staffed in that facility. So the work is going to go offshore," he said.